Jihad Azour, former Finance Minister, senior IMF official and candidate of the opposition and the Free Patriotic Movement for the presidency. (Credit: Karim Sahib/AFP)
No one is speaking of him. Yet, a year ago today, he was a serious presidential candidate. The Christian opposition, the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and, above all, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) used former Finance Minister Jihad Azour’s candidacy to send Hezbollah the clear message that no president could be elected without a Christian green light.On the other hand, Hezbollah has insisted that no candidate will make his way to the presidential palace without its approval. As a result, at the last electoral session on June 14, 2023, the duel between Azour and his opponent, Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, backed by the Shiite Amal-Hezbollah tandem, ended in a tie. This has made it clear to all parties that a third figure will succeed Michel Aoun one day. But that was before the Gaza war, in which Hezbollah is engaged from south...
No one is speaking of him. Yet, a year ago today, he was a serious presidential candidate. The Christian opposition, the Progressive Socialist Party (PSP) and, above all, the Free Patriotic Movement (FPM) used former Finance Minister Jihad Azour’s candidacy to send Hezbollah the clear message that no president could be elected without a Christian green light.On the other hand, Hezbollah has insisted that no candidate will make his way to the presidential palace without its approval. As a result, at the last electoral session on June 14, 2023, the duel between Azour and his opponent, Marada leader Sleiman Frangieh, backed by the Shiite Amal-Hezbollah tandem, ended in a tie. This has made it clear to all parties that a third figure will succeed Michel Aoun one day. But that was before the Gaza war, in which Hezbollah is engaged from...